I've been tossing around the possibility of getting another camera body in the next 3-6 months and would like some advice. I've considered another D80 since I'm use to it or perhaps the D200. I don't need or want 12+megapixels or intend on paying the price for a D3, D300 or 700 so, that kind of narrows it down to a few others. I've read the D200 will show you how bad a given lens can be due to higher resolution but, I don't know if there's much credence to that statement or not. Basically I'm looking for something no more than 10 megapixels like the D80.

Turo

08-06-2008, 10:06 AM

Whatever you decide, wait until photokina to make your purchase. If the D90 is announced/released soon, there should be a prce drop i the D80 on the horizon. That is, of course, unless you are interested in the D90!

K1W1

08-06-2008, 03:33 PM

And there was me thinking that this thread was about Ele McPherson. :confused:

If the D90 is announced/released soon, there should be a prce drop i the D80 on the horizon.

I would be careful about waiting for after Photokina to buy a new D80. They have been discounted heavily for about 8 months now and if Nikon are true to form production probably stopped months ago. By the time the d90 (?) arrives on the shelves there may be very few if any D80s actually available for sale.

JTL

08-06-2008, 03:48 PM

I love my body...;)

I would be careful about waiting for after Photokina to buy a new D80. They have been discounted heavily for about 8 months now and if Nikon are true to form production probably stopped months ago. By the time the d90 (?) arrives on the shelves there may be very few if any D80s actually available for sale. True dat. Remember the D50? Those were gone before you could even say D50!

ColColt

08-06-2008, 05:58 PM

And there was me thinking that this thread was about Ele McPherson. :confused:

I would be careful about waiting for after Photokina to buy a new D80. They have been discounted heavily for about 8 months now and if Nikon are true to form production probably stopped months ago. By the time the d90 (?) arrives on the shelves there may be very few if any D80s actually available for sale.

Ellie...ah, yes but, alas-just another pretty face who craves me body. Poor girl, I'd only hurt her. Back to photokina...is that not next month sometime? Most likely if this D90 materializes, it will be another 12-12.5mp camera. That's not really needed if you seldom go beyond 11x14 in your enlargements. I did see this tidbit of info from Thom Hogan referring to the D200 I mentioned...

"There's a serious amount of resolving power in this camera, though not quite at the D2x level. Still, some folk are actually going to have a difficult time with the D200 because of that. What do I mean by that? You need to watch for mirror vibration, wind vibration, sloppy hand-holding techniques, and be using excellent quality lenses or else you'll find that you don't get "sharp" images."

Excellent quality lenses? I wouldn't imagine that doesn't includes my 55-200 VR although on the D80 it's very good. He may be referring more to the pro grade of lens from Nikon. I read also that the D200 has something like 165pixels/mm but not sure what the figures are for the D80. The D200 may make the lens I have look pretty poor...I don't know. I'd venture to say perhaps the up and coming D90 may as well. I haven't seen much of a drop in price on the D80 around here in the past few months.

K1W1

08-06-2008, 07:54 PM

Back to photokina...is that not next month sometime?

Some sites are saying that Nikon have a press conference scheduled for 3 September. The problem is that is that fact or just repetition of a rumour that has become fact.
Photokina itself runs from 23-28 September and these days most manufacturers seem to announce what they are going to announce before the date of the announcement so I guess the 3 September press conference may be plausible.

Dread Pirate Roberts

08-08-2008, 05:39 PM

I'll confess I'm dissapointed, I thought this was a new thread about Corrie, Brianna and swgods other model.

Why wait, you've mentioned you don't need more mp than the D80/D200. Both are imho as cheap as that quality of camera will ever get.

I thought both had the same image quality and it was just that the D200 had a slightly more robust & larger body.

ColColt

08-08-2008, 07:45 PM

The differences between the D80/D200 are more than just body weight/size. From what I've read the D200 has something like 165pixels/mm and the D2X something like 180. I haven't seen these specs on the D80 so, I can't attest to what it is but no doubt its lower than either of those. One drawback is the battery won't last as long with the D200. Again, just from what I've read, there's big differences between the D80 and D200 other than ergonomics. One feature I especially liked on the D200 is that it works with manual lens. That means I could use the 35 f2, 50 f1.4, 90 f2.5 Series I, and the old 105 f2.5 lenses I still have.

Dread Pirate Roberts

08-09-2008, 02:30 AM

Hang on a sec, I've been drinking but I still spot a dillema.

Don't you list a D80 in your sig.
Surely then you'd know the D80 can focus the older glass like those primes you mention. In body focus motor for both D80 and D200.

Re the pixels per inch
Both are 10.2 MP and both have a crop of 1.5. Therefore they must have the same pixels per inch musn't they.

All the reviews I read before buying my cam said they had the same image quality.

Turn

08-09-2008, 02:44 AM

I wouldn't get a new body

and I don't think you need one.

Visual Reality

08-09-2008, 09:25 AM

D80 and D200 have the same sensor. The D200 has the ability to push more frame/second, that is all.

ColColt

08-09-2008, 10:05 AM

Hang on a sec, I've been drinking but I still spot a dillema.

Don't you list a D80 in your sig.
Surely then you'd know the D80 can focus the older glass like those primes you mention. In body focus motor for both D80 and D200.

Those primes I listed are all AI/AIS lens from when I was shooting Nikon F series cameras(F, F2, F2A, etc). No auto focus or metering with these. You can manually focus but, it does no good since there's no metering of course and the shutter won't even release. I assume from the article I read that the D200 would have the capability of using these lens. According to Rockwell, the D200 works in all meter modes and A/M exposure modes with manual lens.

Few of us actually need another body unless you're shooting professional and in that case, I wouldn't take on an assignment without another. Someone could come along and knock your tripod over during a shoot and the extra body was good insurance. It's good to have two "just in case". While shooting professionally years ago, I always had another body. Some clients wanted color and B/W which wasn't an easy task to perform with the Pentax 6x7 like it would have been with a Bronica or Hasselblad. So, it those cases, I carried one for color and had Tri-X 220 loaded in the other.

Dread Pirate Roberts

08-09-2008, 06:54 PM

I think from way back when I read Jeffs excellent reviews the D200 supports a wider range of old glass but I'm far from sure.